Fire Courses Criteria

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This publication provides the criteria for the development of courses to deliver training in fire prevention and fire fighting (FP&FF) and advanced fire fighting (AFF), along with the updating training requirements for both FP&FF and AFF, plus the tanker fire fighting requirements, in accordance with international regulations for seafarer training.

NB – tanker training fire fighting requirements may be delivered as a separate course or could be combined with either a fire prevention and fire fighting course, or with an advanced fire fighting course.

The specifications described in this document have been developed by the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) in conjunction with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The MCA has agreed with the MNTB that the specifications described in this document will satisfy the requirements for approved training. Conditions for MCA approval of short courses are contained in Annex A, which should be used in conjunction with the MCA guide to approval of regulatory training requirements.

With regard to updating training, the learning outcomes required for the fire prevention and fire fighting and advanced fire fighting updating course is a subset of those required for the full courses. It has therefore been agreed that Training Centres that hold current MCA approval (i.e. have completed MCA initial or re-approval within the last 5 years) to deliver the full programme and use the same personnel, need only submit course material for the desk assessment, and additional QA procedures if required, to gain approval to deliver this updating course. The updating course approval will be limited to the same re-approval date as the full course approval. Training Centres wanting approval to deliver updating courses should approach the Marine Office which granted the approval for the full course. Training centres that wish to offer updating training only will need to seek MCA approval accordingly. In such instances, the existing requirements for full course delivery must be taken into account, ie, staff to learner ratio; facilities and equipment; conduct of training.

The national occupational standards relating to this training are:

A12 - Respond to emergencies on board a vessel

A13 - Control the response to emergencies on board a vessel

A14 - Direct the response to emergencies on board a vessel.

There is also a suite of Maritime Studies Qualifications which contain units relevant to this training; the specific units are:

Vessel fire prevention and fire fighting

Provide fire fighting response on board a vessel.

The MNTB is a voluntary body and a part of the UK Chamber of Shipping, the trade association for the UK shipping industry. We work closely with shipping and ship management companies, nautical educational establishments and organisations, seafarer trade unions, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and industry organisations with an interest in seafarer education and training.

The MNTB provides the link to government departments and bodies involved with the shipping industry as well as those involved with the UK skills agenda and education and training developments. This includes the Department for Transport (DfT), the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS), and UK education regulatory authorities and bodies. The MNTB works closely with the Maritime Skills Alliance to achieve joint aims with partner organisations in the maritime sector.

We carry out a wide range of careers promotion activities through our ‘Careers at Sea’ brand. This is currently under expansion to encompass the full range of careers activity at sea and within the shipping industry ashore and the wider maritime sector.